Wakefulness & alertness test device

Abstract

The invention is a device which prevents unwanted manipulation of controls (inputs) by locking (disabling) said controls until the person passes a memory test consisting of a randomly/pseudo-randomly generated pattern. The invention may be a part of another device, or be designed separately and remotely enable/disable the concerned controls.

1 . A device that tests determines the wakefulness and alertness of a subject by testing the subject's ability to correctly repeat back a randomly or pseudo randomly generated pattern or sequence, such that a correctly repeated pattern or sequence means alertness and an incorrectly repeated pattern or sequence means un-alertness. 
   
   
       2 . A device incorporating the device defined in  claim 1  that will enable one or more controls of a control panel if the test result defined in  claim 1  determines alertness, and disable one or more controls of a control panel if the test result defined in  claim 1  determines Un-alertness. 
   
   
       3 . The use of device defined in  claim 2  to prevent the unconscious or uninformed muting of alarm clocks, including clock radios and multifunction devices, by disabling mute-causing buttons until the human operator is determined to be alert and thus awake. 
   
   
       4 . The use of device defined in  claim 2  in any other device or that can benefit from having controls that can only be operated by alert people.